Is that a real coldsteel trailmaster?

S

sagiexe

Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Messages
15
I just got a new black coldsteel TrailMaster.
It has a thick nice quality leather sheath, but i cant find the exact markings anywhere...
Coldsteel and china are printed in white, not engraved into the steel, and the name of the model
isnt marked into the blade.
The only problem, is that i got it from the official coldsteel retailer to israel.
can you advice?
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAB6E/EuV2QarZfnY/w1150-h859-no/IMG_5354.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAAB6M/lnAUp4eGLEw/w642-h859-no/IMG_5355.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAAB6U/LeBV1WIBNuk/w642-h859-no/IMG_5357.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAB6c/chpglaytW-s/w1150-h859-no/IMG_5358.JPG
 
I'm no Cold Steel expert but have owned a few Trailmasters including a China made model. It was clearly marked with the Trailmaster model name. The sheath has a prominent tie down attachment at the tip that I can't se in your pics.

Good chance it's a fake but wait til you get a better informed opinion than mine before you take it further.
 
I cannot claim to be the greatest expert on earlier models (anything before 2004 was sadly before my time) but I am sorry to say that this knife looks a little suspicious to me.
As 2many pointed out, that sheath looks wrong, and I have never seen a black Trailmaster with white text on it.
I would suggest contacting our customer services team (by phone is quickest) and then emailing them the photos. They may know of an earlier model that I am not familiar with.
My gut instinct is that this is a counterfeit, but I hope I'm wrong.
Sorry to be the bearer of potentially bad news
 
Have you run this by the official CS dealer in Israel or asked for an explaination? It would be interesting to here what they had to say!
 
The knife was bought from the only official cs dealer in israel who gave me the story, that this is a special edition
made for the military israeli services and was specialy manifactured for his request....
 
IMO its a knock off for many reasons .
The first would be it does not say Trailmaster....not many CS products that I've seen don't have the name of the model on the blade.
I have all of the trailmasters that were ever released to the public other than the one you have and the Intruder edition which was released for the movie Flight of the Intruder.
All the ones made that were made in china that I have seen have as markings on either side ...One side says Cold Steel China and on the other side it says Trailmaster.
The box is marked #39L16C.
There was a sterile one released in Special Projects one year with no markings at all I believe....I don't have one because I have the marked one and didn't need it.
I would search youtube for the video of the broken trailmaster and you will see the exact one that you have and not much more on it.
The best thing to do is as the mod said...Phone Cold steel and send them pictures......
Good luck..
 
Hi,
I have send CS an email with pictures, but they have not replied.
The official dealer says he invited 1000 pieces for the IDF unit "EGOZ" (and the one i have is 1 of those 1000)....
I would be happy if you could send me a youtube with that knife.
Thank you,
sagi
 
sagiexe I sent you a visitor message as you have no way of contact listed.
All you have to do is search youtube though and see what others have done with theirs..
Take Care,
 
I own 4 trailmasters all different.

i say it is a fake,i would try to score my money back with a refund.
 
You're probably aware that Mtech markets a Trailmaster knockoff, under their own name as the Mtech Model MT-151, on Amazon now for $22. Mtech's knockoff has no stampings or imprints of any kind on the blade. It's got a silvery/white colored printed "Mtech USA" on one side, "MT151/ 440 Stainless Steel/ USA DESIGN/Handcrafted in China" (four lines of printing) on the other. Sorry, I don't know how to upload photos to post here.
There are several (mostly positive) youTube vide reviews of the MT-151, and you might get a better screenshot there. I've never seen a genuine Trailmaster for comparison alongside an Mt-151, but the Mtech feels and looks to be pretty solid, and overall like a much better item than its price suggests.

I'm not trying to stir the pot, just my .02 to say there's at least one commonly available (apparently legal, as far as I know) Trailmaster clone out there with a sterile blade other than the painted/printed Mtech logo.
 
Yes, and from what Ive seen, its a well made replica for the money...Ive considered purchasing one since Ive updated my DMT tools! Being 440, Id really appreciate a guided system able to support the 5/16 in. thick steel, until I can shark a KOE Worksharp.
 
I wanted to revisit my earlier post to this thread for the benefit of anyone googling the MTech 151 and thinking of buying it.

I picked up a 151 recently when it hit $15 delivered. It looked and felt solid, and like a quality knife out of the box. Looked like a perfect copy of the Trailmaster original.

However, it broke within the first few minutes of using it to baton firewood. Snapped clean in two just in front of the hilt. No bend, no warning, just a snap. Steel in the break area looks and feels grainy like gray sandpaper. Quality steel does not look like this when it breaks. I don't believe it was operator error. Fortunately no one was hurt, but I can imagine a serious injury happening easily.

Bottomline, my 151 failed within minutes of first use.
I won't buy another MTech, no matter how cheap or good-looking. Live and learn.
Put that $15 or $20 toward a much better working knife like a KaBar USMC or an Ontario SP1. Both can be had around $35 and will not disappoint.
 
sagiexe said:
The knife was bought from the only official cs dealer in israel who gave me the story, that this is a special edition
made for the military israeli services and was specialy manifactured for his request....
Click to expand...

Honestly, that should have been a GIANT red flag right there. Specially manufactured to his request? Limited edition of 1000 pieces, and he's, you know, not charging several hundred dollars for it, despite how valuable limited edition/sprint run knives and even discontinued regular run knives are on the collector's market? Sorry, sounds like you got scammed.
 
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